Train-stopping apparatus.



I. HUGHES.

TRAIN STOPPING APPA/RATUS. APPLIGATION FILED MAY 8, 1914.

1 1 Q4, 1 85, Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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I. HUGHES.

TRAIN STOPPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1914.

1,124,135, Patented Jan.5, 1915.

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ISAIAH HUGHES, 0F HOUTZDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAIN-STOPPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 19 15.

Application filed May 8, 1914. Serial No. 837,245.

To all 4.071 cm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAIAH.HTUGHES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Houtzdale, in the county of Glearfield and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inTrain-Stopping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic train stoppingapparatus and has particular application to fluid operated apparatus ofthis character.

In carrying out the present invention, it

is my purpose to provide an automatic train stop which embodies in itsconstruction, among other features,fluid motors disposed adjacent to thethrottle valve and engineers brake valve respectively and connectedtherewith and having connections with a source of fluid supply, and avalve located in said last named connection and having the stem thereofequipped with a wheel having a toothed periphery adapted to ride over arack bar disposed along the trackway to open the valve whereby themotors will be placed in communication with the source of supply and thethrottle valve closed and the engineers brake valve operated to effectan application of the brakes to the wheels.

It is also my purpose to provide apparatus of the type set forth whichwill embrace the desired features of simplicity, ef-

ficiency and durability, which maybe installed and maintained at aminimum expense and which will .operate effectively under allconditions.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangementof parts here ina-fter set forth in andv falling within the Referringnow to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the throttle valve lever ofa steam locomotive, while 2 indicates the en gmeers brake valve locatedin the cab of the locomotive. Pivoted upon the throttle lever l is abell crank lever 3 having one limb thereof connected through the mediumof a pin and slot connection with the actuating rod of the latching dogand the opposite limb connected through a pin and slot connection with alink 4 slidably mounted upon the throttle lever 1 and slidabletransversely thereof. Located in proximity to the throttle lever l. andengineers brake valve 2 are fluid motors a and b respectively, eachcomprising a cylinder 5 within which is mounted for sliding movement apiston -6 equipped with a piston rod 7 projecting outwardly of one endwall of the cylinder and connected wit-h a cross head 8 slidably mountedwithin guides 9 connected with the adjacent head or end wall of the,cylinder and projecting outwardly therefrom. Connected with the crosshead 8 of the motor a is a rod 10 fastened to the link 4, whileconnecting the cross head 8 of the motor I; with the handle of theengineers brake valve is a rodv I1. i

In the present instance, each cylinder 5 is formed with exhaust ports12, 12 at the opposite ends thereof so that the opposite ends of thepiston will be in communication with the atmosphere whereby the engineermay manipulate the throttle valve lever and engineers brake valve withease and facility and without compressing air within theends of thecylinders of the motor in the movement of the pistons within suchcylinders. Leading into the cylinders 5 of the motors (p and b at theforward ends of such cylinders, that is to say, the ends of thecylinders adjacent to the throttle lever and brake valve respectively,are branch pipes 13, 13 connected up with a common supply pipe l t andthe latter is connected with the main air reservoir of the air brakesystem of the train or the steam space 'of'the boiler, as desired.

Located in the supply pipe 14 and disposed at an appropriate place uponthe under-framing of the locomotive adjacent to one line of rails of thetrackway is a controlling valve 15 which, in this instance, is in theform of a globe valve. The stem of the valve is disposed in a horizontalplane and fixed to the outer end of the stem is a wheel the outer sideof one line of rails thereof.- In the present instance, each rack bar is16 having ,the periphery thereof formed with teeth 17.

Arranged along the trackway at suitable intervals are rack bars 18capable of movement to active and inactive positions and adapted, whenin active position, to be engaged by the, teeth 17 of the wheel 16 of apassing train whereby the valve 15 will be opened and fluid fiow intothe cylinders of the motors a and 1) thereby actuating the pistonswithin such cylinders. In the initial sliding movement of the piston inthe cylinder of the motor a, a pull isexerted upon the link 4: therebyswinging the bell crank lever 3 with the efiect to disengage thelatching dog of the throttle lever from the quadrant and in thecontinued movement of such piston the throttle lever is swung to valveclosing position, while in the sliding movement of the piston 6 withinthe cylinder 5 'of the motor 6 a pull is exerted upon the connecting rod11 whereby the handle of the engineers brake valve is swung from fullreleasing position or running position to emergency position. I

The rack bars 18 may be located at the entrances to the blocks, in theevent of my improved apparatus being employed in conunction with theblock signaling system and in such case each rack bar is connected upwith the adjacent signal blade through suitable mechanism but when theblade goes to danger position the rack bar will be elevated or renderedactive, while when the blade is in clear position the rack bar will belowered or rendered inactive.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred form ofmy-invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood thatl donot limit or confine myself to the precise details of constructionherein described and delineated, as modification and variation may bemade within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Each rack bar 18 extends longitudinally of the trackway and is locatedadjacent to slidably mounted upon guide rods 19 spaced apart inparallelism and lying in planes at right angles to the plane of thetrackway. The outer ends of the rods 19, that is, the ends remote fromthe adjacent line of rails of the trackway, are connected by means of across bar 20 and extending upwardly from the cross bar 20 is a pin 21upon which is journaled a sheave 22 and trained over the sheave 22 is acord 23 having one end thereof passed through an eye formed in a block24 upstanding from a cross bar 25 secured to the guide rods 19 betweenthe rack bar and the cross bar 20, the said end of the cord 23 beingfastened to the rack bar 18. Interposed between the confronting faces ofthe block 24 and rackbar 18 is a coiled expansion spring 26 encirclingthe cable or cord 23 and acting to slide the rack bar to active positionand maintain the same in such position. The free end of the cord orcable 23 is connected, through suitable mechanism, with the blade of theadjacent semaphore and when the blade goes to clear a pull is exertedupon the cord 23 thereby sliding the rack bar 18 to inactive positionagainst the action of the spring 26, while when the blade is actuated todanger position the cord or cable 23 is released and the spring 26reacts to slide the rack bar to active position.

I claim:

1, In train stopping apparatus, a track instrument comprising a rack barextending longitudinally of the trackway and capable of sliding movementto active and inactive positions, means acting normally to move the rackbar to active position, andmeans for moving said rack bar to inactiveposition against the action of said first means.

2. In train stopping apparatus, a track instrument comprising a rack barextending longitudinally of the trackway and capable of sliding movementto active and inactive positions, a spring acting normally to move therack bar to active position, and means for moving said rack bar toinactive position against the action of said spring.

3. In train stopping apparatus, a track instrument comprising a rack barextending longitudinally of the trackway and capable of sliding movementto active and inactive positions, a spring acting normally to move therack bar to active position, and signal operated means for moving saidrack bar to inactive position against the action of said spring.

1. In train stopping apparatus, a track instrument comprising a rack bararranged longitudinally of the trackway and capable of sliding movementto active and inactive positions, guide rods supporting said bar andarranged at right angles to the track? way, means acting normally tomove the rack bar to active position, and means for sliding said rackbar to inactive position against the action of said first means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAIAH HUGHES.

\Vitnesses IV. B. GLEAsoN, JOHN SooLLINs.

